The Palms Hole by Hole Review from Rosalind Barnes May 2006

Hole 1
This is a par 5 hole with an elevated tee and water on the right hand side of it. The fairway narrows between trees on the approach to the green, which is an elevated one with water and houses behind it.

Hole 2
This is a par 4, again from a raised tee you drive through a narrow fairway with trees on either side and a small water hazard just to the left of the tee. The route to the green is via a small dogleg left and the green has a water hazard to the right of it and bunkers on the left.

Hole 3
A par 4 dogleg left with large sand traps on the left and right hand sides as you approach the dogleg. The green is raised with trees and houses behind it and two sand traps on the left hand side of it.

Hole 4
Another par 4 hole with a dogleg right to the pin and some sand traps on the left side at the dogleg. The green is slightly elevated with deep bunkers on the left of the green and large grassy mounds all around it, down into clumps of palms at the back of the green.

Hole 5
This is a short par 3 hole, fairly open to the green which has bunkers to left and right on the approach and trees and houses beyond the green.

Hole 6
This is a shortish par 4, with a large lake on the right. Men and ladies can play across the right hand corner of it (straightest route). There are large bunkers to the left and right of the green, lots of tall trees to the right of the green and some beyond the left hand bunker. The green is elevated with lots of runoff mounds around it.

Hole 7
This is a par 4 with a water trap to the right of the green. It is essential to play onto the fairway from the tee and it’s a dogleg right to the green. When you approach the green there are two large bunkers to the left of it. It is elevated and the approach is dominated by a large water hazard and large mound runoffs.

Hole 8
This hole is a short par 3. There is a long lake down the left hand side from tee to green. It’s a short dogleg left but otherwise open fairway. There is a large bunker to the right of the green with mounds and runoffs all around it.

Hole 9
This is a par 5, dogleg left, with water on the right at the tee and a large pine tree on the left. Along the fairway there are houses to the left and pine trees dotted around. There are bunkers on the left and right hand side of the fairway at the dogleg and a long sand trap on the left as you approach the green. It is a slightly elevated green with large pine trees behind and sloping mounds all around it. There is another long sand trap behind the green on the right hand side.

Hole 10
This is a par 4 with an initially narrow fairway with water traps on the left and right, widening out with a bunker on the left and isolated trees. The green is undulating and elevated with trees around three sides and sloping mounds all around.

Hole 11
This is a short par 3 with an open fairway and bunkers all around the elevated green. Also there are the ubiquitous sloping mounds around it too. Accuracy with your tee shot is very important on this hole.

Hole 12
This is a par 5 with a long sand trap and houses on the right as you tee off. There is a large lake on the left of the fairway about half way down which extends to the green. There is a short dogleg left into the green, which is elevated and on two levels, where you will find another lake on the right hand side. This hole has some nasty surprises if accuracy is absent!

Hole 13
This is a par 4 hole with a large lake on the left at the tee which extends to half way down the wide open fairway. Then there are sand traps to the left and right on the narrow approach to the level green. There are trees behind it, some large hillocks with palm trees on them around the green and houses on the right.

Hole 14
This is a short par 3 across a large lake to an open green with sloping mounds all around it and there are oleander bushes, trees and a house at the back of the green. The lake was a lovely one, alive with wildlife including three alligators, two turtles, a blue heron and a white egret.

Hole 15
This is a par 4 hole with a water hazard on the left as you tee off and a long lake on the right of the narrow fairway. This lake extends almost to the elevated green which has a bunker on the right. The approach to the green between the water is challenging (or it was for us!). There is a raised area of grass on the right of the fairway with steep slopes down into the deep water which claimed another two balls!

Hole 16
This is a par 5 dogleg right. There are water hazards to the right and left off the tee, with a narrow to widening fairway to the green. The green is undulating and on three levels with the pin at mid level.

Hole 17
This is a par 4 hole with an island green – fun, to say the least. There is a strip of grass on the left of the green about 8ft wide and, apart from this, there is water all around the green. As you tee off there is a sand trap on the left and a long one on the right. The green is undulating with trees and houses behind it and to the sides. Fairly challenging, but lots of alligators and birds to keep one’s mind off the hideous golf!

Hole 18
This is a par 4 hole with a water trap on the right of the tee, a sand bunker straight ahead to the left and then a long bunker on the left further up the fairway. The green is on two levels with large sloping mounds around it.